2019年经济学人 伪造犀牛角(2)

 

The next task they tackled was making a suitable binding¹ matrix.

他们接下来要解决的任务是制作合适的粘合基质。

This, Dr Vollrath and his coauthor Mi Ruixin made from a fibrous protein-rich glue of the sort produced naturally by spiders and silkworms.

这是由沃拉斯博士和他的合著者Mi Ruixin用一种富含纤维蛋白的胶制成的，这种胶是由蜘蛛和蚕自然产生的。

They bundled the treated horse hairs as tightly as they could in a matrix of this glue, and then left the bundles in an oven to dry.

他们把处理过的马毛尽可能紧紧地捆在这种胶水的基质里，然后把这些马毛放在烤箱里烘干。

The result was a material that, with some polishing, looked like rhino² horn.

结果，经过一些抛光打磨，这种材料看起来就像犀牛角。

Specimens³ on the black market are, however, inspected carefully before sale,

然而，黑市上的标本在出售前都要经过仔细检查，

so for the false horns to be effective they would need to stand up to closer scrutiny⁴ than the naked eye.

因此，为了使假的犀牛角能够以假乱真，它们需要经得起比肉眼更仔细的观察。

To this end, Dr Vollrath and Dr Mi decided⁵ to test their product in detail.

为此，沃拉斯博士和Mi博士决定对他们的产品进行详细的测试。

DNA⁶ analysis would certainly reveal fakes, but such analysis is complicated

DNA分析肯定会发现假货，但这种分析很复杂

and therefore hard to do in the sorts of back rooms in which rhino-horn sales tend to take place.

因此在犀牛角交易的辅助库房内很难做到。

The forgeries⁷ passed other tests with flying colours, though.

不过，这些赝品还是出色地通过了其他测试。

First, fake and real horn looked the same when examined under a scanning electron microscope.

首先，假牛角和真牛角在扫描电子显微镜下看起来是一样的。

Next, they behaved similarly when tested by a technique that compared their capacity to absorb heat.

第二，在进行吸热能力比较技术测试时，它们的表现相似。

Finally, when stressed or strained and then relaxed regularly for long periods, to probe their underlying⁸ mechanical properties,

最后，在经过一段长时间定期挤压放松，对它们的潜在的机械性能进行探测后发现，

the results for real and false horn were indistinguishable.

真角和假角的结果是无法区分的。

Whether using clandestine⁹ means to launch impeccable fakes onto the rhinoceros-horn market

利用秘密手段在犀牛角市场上推出无懈可击的假货

would truly reduce prices and sabotage¹⁰ demand remains¹¹ to be tested. But it might.

是否能真正降低价格并妨碍需求，仍有待检验。但这是有可能的。

It is an old trick in warfare¹² to flood the enemy with forged, worthless money. Something similar may yet help save the rhino.

用伪造的、毫无价值的钱淹没敌人是战争中的一个老把戏。类似的方法可能有助于拯救犀牛。

1 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

2 rhino   

n.犀牛，钱, 现金

参考例句：

• The rhino charged headlong towards us.犀牛急速地向我们冲来。
• They have driven the rhino to the edge of extinction.他们已经令犀牛濒临灭绝。

3 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

7 forgeries   

伪造( forgery的名词复数 )； 伪造的文件、签名等

参考例句：

• The whole sky was filled with forgeries of the brain. 整个天空充满了头脑里臆造出来的膺品。
• On inspection, the notes proved to be forgeries. 经过检查，那些钞票证明是伪造的。

8 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

9 clandestine   

adj.秘密的，暗中从事的

参考例句：

• She is the director of clandestine operations of the CIA.她是中央情报局秘密行动的负责人。
• The early Christians held clandestine meetings in caves.早期的基督徒在洞穴中秘密聚会。

10 sabotage   

n.怠工，破坏活动，破坏；v.从事破坏活动，妨害，破坏

参考例句：

• They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
• The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。